Just Drive
by spinalTapSoundGuy
Summary: After a string of wrecks, the local government is urging young people to take driving tests and apply for licenses. And that includes our six recently graduated protagonists; minus Chiyo, who is underage, and therefore present for moral support .
1. Hit And Run

**Author's Note: A fun, short little project. Won't be much longer than four or five chapters. I hope you all enjoy it!**

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><p><strong>Hit and Run<strong>

**Nashi License Bureau**

"Hey."

Yomi ignored the girl addressing her, who had done nothing but pester her for almost ten minutes now.

"Hey. Yomi," the girl continued, obviously enjoying herself.

"_Blue three, blue three, martial arts ain't for me..."_ hummed a blank-looking girl a few seats down.

"Yomi. Yomi. Hey, Yomi."

Yomi remained silent, eyes narrowing behind her glasses. The morning was not a wise time to try her patience.

"Why are you ignoring me, Yomi?" she continued. "Why are you ignoring me? Yomi? Yomi? Yomi?"

She felt her temper rising. Leave it to her oldest friend to push her buttons like this.

"Yomi. Yomi. Yomi. Yomi. Yomi. Yomi. Yomi. Yomi. Yomi. Yomi..."

"For god's sake, Tomo, _what?_" she finally snapped.

"_SHHHHHHHH!"_ Tomo replied gleefully. "Inside voice, Yomi!"

"God, you irritate me..." Yomi huffed. "I've finished high school, ready to enjoy my summer, and I have to come in here early on a Saturday. Just what's going on here?"

"You don't know?" answered a little girl with red-orange pigtails. "I read it in the news: apparently, our prefecture is urging young people who are approaching eighteen to take driving lessons. It had something to do with a rash of auto accidents recently."

"Hah," chimed in a wild-haired girl across the room. "That's typical of them."

"Huh?" the little girl replied. "What's typical, Kagura?"

"Oh, it's simple, Chiyo," Kagura answered. "Whenever something like this happens, it's in the government's best interest to look like they're busy fixing the problem. It might not actually _do_ anything, but all that matters is looking good and getting reelected."

"Wow," Yomi replied. "Couldn't have said it better myself. And believe me, I was about to. So hold up. If we're all here to take driving lessons, and eighteen is the legal age, why is Chiyo here?"

"Moral support!" Chiyo answered brightly. "It never occurred to me that politicians might think that way, though."

"What can you do, though?" Yomi sighed. "Our prefecture sucks sometimes."

"Yeah, maybe," Kagura agreed. "But in a few months, we'll all be off on our own, and out of... umm..."

"Out of?" Yomi asked, an amused grin growing. "Go on."

"Umm... well..." Kagura stuttered. "Out of... out of... Oh for crying out loud! I forgot, okay? What's our prefecture?"

Yomi and Tomo burst out laughing. Kagura went red.

"You forgot," Yomi repeated. "You truly, honestly forgot where we live? God, I know you're not the sharpest tool in the shed, but geez!"

"I know it!" Kagura insisted weakly. "I just... it's on the tip of my tongue, I swear!"

"Geez, who would be dumb enough..." Tomo chuckled. "I mean, come on! That's probably something even Osaka would know."

"Eh?" the blank-faced girl looked up, hearing her nickname.

"Wait... would she?" Yomi postulated.

"Of course!" Tomo insisted. "Everyone knows. Except Kagura."

"I'll bet she doesn't," Yomi challenged.

"How much?"

"Two thousand yen?" Yomi offered.

"You're on!" Tomo accepted. "Hey, Osaka! What's our prefecture?"

"Our prefecture," Osaka began. "It's... our prefecture is... we live in... well, that is..."

"You don't know?" Yomi grinned.

"I can give the general area!" Osaka blustered.

Tomo grabbed Yomi by the shoulders and lunged forward, her face just inches from Yomi's. Tomo was close enough for Yomi to smell her breath.

"That counts, right?" Tomo asked hopefully. "Buddy? Pal? Childhood friend?"

"Tell you what," Yomi answered. "I'll allow it if you get off me right now, and promise _never_ to get this close again!"

"I accept!" Tomo pushed off and away from Yomi, sending her reeling back to her own seat. "Go ahead, Osaka. General area."

"Right!" Osaka answered. "I know that whatever our prefecture is, it's somewhere west of Gifu, and east of Nagano!"

"Three thousand yen!" Tomo shouted. Yomi did nothing but stare back and chuckle, a smug leer on her face.

"That's impossible," Yomi replied. "Trust me. Geographically impossible. Look it up."

"But... but... but..." Tomo stammered. "It's not impossible!"

"Gifu is west of Nagano!" Yomi countered triumphantly. "You can't be west of Gifu and east of Nagano at the same time. It's impossible!"

"But it's not impossible," Osaka muttered dreamily. "The earth ain't flat, is it?"

"What's your point?" Yomi asked irritably.

"Well, the earth is round," Osaka explained. "That means if ya start at Gifu and head west, you can keep heading west. Keep going, and going, and going, and eventually, you loop around back to Japan, and at that point, ya end up east of Nagano. So basically, being west of Gifu is the same as being really, really, really, really, really, really, really far east of Nagano. So we live somewhere between those there places."

"Ha! Told you!" Tomo boasted. "Now, if you don't have anything else to add, I do believe there is the rather unpleasant matter of the payment by you, for me, of five thousand yen."

"First of all," Yomi replied. "The wager was _two_ thousand yen. Nice try. Second, I allowed the answer to include a general area, and a strip all the way around the world is _not_ a general area. Third, even if you did narrow it down further, you're still way off. We don't live anywhere _near_ Gifu or Nagano. Chiyo, tell them where we live and enjoy watching Tomo lose."

"Okay!" Chiyo beamed. "Our prefecture is–"

All five girls went rigid as the door burst open with explosive force. An energetic looking young woman stood proudly on the threshold, hand still in the air from having shoved the door unceremoniously aside.

"_Rise and shine!"_ she shouted. "I'm so excited for the first day of driving lessons!"

"Miss Yukari?" all five shouted simultaneously.

"Ah! Former students!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here? I was so sure I'd never have to see any of you agai– I mean, I was afraid I'd never see any of you again. So it looks like you're all here to take driving lessons."

"Yep," Yomi answered. "I wouldn't be here if I could help it. I don't even have a car. No reason for me to take lessons and apply for a license."

"Wait a minute," Yukari replied. "Sakaki's not here. You six are usually always together. Where is she?"

"Eaten by cats, I 'spose." Osaka answered offhandedly.

"Eh..." everyone else looked nervously at Osaka, who remained completely unreadable. "Say what?"

"She'll be along later," Osaka replied in the same distant tone. "I think."

Everyone continued to stare in dead silence for roughly ten seconds.

"She'll be fine," Yukari asserted. "Today's not the only day for driving lessons."

"Heh. Figures," Kagura chuckled. "You sure need something like this, Miss Yukari."

"Oh, I _do_ need it," Yukari agreed. "What with it being summer, I'm not getting paid, so this driving program will help me with the bills."

"Wait!" Tomo interrupted. "We get _paid_ for this? Cool!"

"Whoa, hold up there!" Yukari cut her off. "You don't get money just for taking lessons. What, do you expect the world to just hand things to you?"

"But," Chiyo asked. "If you're taking lessons, then how are you making money?"

"_Taking _lessons?" Yukari replied. "Where'd you get a silly idea like that? I'm teaching them."

"_SAY WHAT?"_ all shouted in unison. This couldn't be happening. If Yukari wasn't joking, then this could very well mean the death of them all.

"Alright!" Tomo pumped her fist. "You're my favorite driver! Me first! Me first! Me first!"

"This is a joke," Yomi insisted, pale-faced. "This has to be a joke. I am _not_ taking lessons from _you._ Of all the people behind the wheel, why on Earth... just... I won't do it!"

"Oho, yes you will!" Yukari taunted. "Haven't you heard about all the accidents? _Obviously,_ a bunch of young people haven't learned to drive properly. You should _thank_ me. I'm taking time out of my busy schedule of relaxation to do my part to _remedy_ your irresponsible actions."

"Young people's fault... irresponsible actions..." Yomi struggled. "I don't even... that makes no... _Gah!_ I don't even have a car! I don't drive!"

"Well, if you've never driven," Tomo replied. "Then obviously, you need lessons!"

"I like the way Tomo thinks!" Yukari chimed.

"Wait a minute," Yomi muttered, suspicious. "I _do_ remember reading a bunch about some recent accidents. And I saw _your_ car at the center of every picture! Care to explain, Evel Knievel?"

"I... well... that's..." Yukari struggled, face screwed up in annoyed concentration.

"That settles it," Yomi declared. "The day I take driving lessons from you is the day I meet Chiyo's father."

"_Shhhh!"_ Yukari hissed, holding a hand to her ear. "I'm trying to hear!"

Confusion crossed everybody's faces.

"Hear what?" Yomi asked.

"You can't hear it?" Yukari smirked. "It's clear as day if you listen."

"I don't hear anything..." Yomi insisted. "None of us can hear anything."

"I can hear!" Osaka volunteered.

"You can?"

"Yeah," she answered. "I hear lotsa things. Y'all talkin'. Me breathin'. The air conditionin'. Machines humming outside. Some kind of ringing in my ears. But I don't know where that last one comes from.

"You don't by any chance hear air rushing between your ears, do you?" Yomi snarked.

"No," Osaka answered, confused. "Why would I hear that?"

"Forget it," Yomi sighed. "Yukari, for crying out loud, _tell me what I'm supposed to be hearing!"_

"Oh, the sound!" Yukari teased. "I'm not telling. Well... there might be something you can do that'll make me change my mind. Something about taking a lesson... getting behind the wheel..."

"You..." Yomi gritted her teeth at this tactic. She just _had_ to know what Yukari was talking about.

"You'll never know," Yukari insisted. "Not unless you accept."

Yomi sighed, defeated. The suspense was simply too much.

"Fine," she huffed. "I'll take a driving lesson with you. Now what was the sound?"

"It's music to my ears, this sound! This sound, my friend..." Yukari answered, pausing for dramatic effect. "Is the sound of _you_ volunteering to go first! _Ha!_"

Yomi stared at Yukari in disbelief. How could she have fallen for such a dirty trick?

"I'm dead," Yomi slouched in her seat.

* * *

><p>Yomi and Yukari sat parked on the street next to the building, engine running. Only one or two cars traveled the road at any given time, not at all like the heavy traffic on the busier main streets.<p>

"Okay," Yukari began. "This car belongs to the city. Mine's in the shop right now, and even if it wasn't, I wouldn't want you learning to drive an automatic like that anyway."

"Oh god, this is a stick shift?" Yomi fretted. "But learning to drive is hard enough as it is!"

"Now what kind of an attitude is that? This'll be fun!"

"Fun?" Yomi demanded. "Do you even know how to drive stick?"

"Of course!" Yukari insisted. "I drove this car over here, didn't I? Not bad for my first time in a manual!"

"Oh lord," Yomi groaned, palm to her forehead. "Let's get this over with."

"That's the spirit!" Yukari agreed. "Now, in order to shift gears, you have to be able to operate the snatch."

"Clutch," Yomi corrected her irritably. "Not snatch. _Clutch_."

"Whatever. Okay, if you don't have the clutch in, and you're not in neutral, the engine stops. So when you start driving, push the clutch in, shift to first, and then let the clutch out as you add gas. Got it?"

"Alright," Yomi breathed, putting her left foot down. "Clutch in..."

She grabbed the gearshift and selected first gear. Yomi could tell there would be problems; she had to keep holding the pedal down as long as she was in gear. What if her foot tired out?

"Now add gas, and let the clutch out," Yukari instructed.

_Lurch._ The car buckled for a minute and then stalled out.

"Yep," Yukari sighed. "That happened to me too. Just keep trying. You'll get it."

Fifty tries later, the car still hadn't budged from its parking space. Yomi fumed behind the wheel, her glasses fogged up over her red face.

"What the _hell_!" she shouted. "What am I doing wrong?"

"Alright, calm down!" Yukari replied. "Almost any driving instructor will tell you that you need to time the clutch and the gas to get rolling. Some nonsense about balance. But really, what you have to do is add more gas!"

"More gas?" Yomi repeated cynically.

"A lot more gas!" Yukari confirmed. "They do this all the time in racing. Pedal to the floor, rev that engine, and once you let the clutch out, you'll move _every time_! It really works."

"I really don't think that's a good idea."

"Do it!" Yukari ordered. "Pedal to the floor. Do it now!"

"Oh, god," Yomi whispered, pressing her right foot down. The engine's roar echoed between the buildings through the mid-morning air. She was uncomfortably aware of the immense power delivered by the rumbling, vibrating engine. Was this car built to handle such driving?

"Now steer out towards the road," Yukari continued. "And let the clutch out!"

Yomi released the clutch and the vehicle lurched forward in its parking space. She gasped for a moment at the car parked ahead of her, but narrowly missed hitting it as she took to the road.

Loud honking freaked her out. She looked back in the mirror and noticed an angry driver behind her. She had pulled out onto the street without looking and cut him off. She was mortified.

"Oh god. Oh god. Oh god," Yomi muttered. "What do I do?"

"Floor it, Yomi!" Yukari shouted. "He won't follow us!"

Yomi put the pedal to the floor once more and took off down the road. Shifting gears in motion was much easier than starting from rest. She shifted to second, then third, straightening out as she got the feel of the car.

"_What_ are you doing?" Yukari demanded.

"Uh..." Yomi puzzled. "Upshifting?"

"No, no, that's not what you do!" she insisted. "High gear is for wimps. Fourth and fifth won't give you any power at this speed. Shift down and go faster!"

"But, the speed limit is only forty kilometers per hour!" Yomi protested.

"Who cares!" Yukari argued. "This is a nice car; I'll bet it's capable of at least two hundred! Go faster!"

"I'm not speeding up for you!"

"What, are you scared?" Yukari teased. "Don't you know fear makes you lose weight? You want to lose weight, don't you? Don't you? Come on. You know you want to."

Yomi growled. Not these games again.

"That's it!" Yomi snapped. "Say your prayers, you magnificent bastard!"

Seconds after a crunch of the stick, Yomi and Yukari were pressed deep into their seats as the car accelerated rapidly. Yukari threw her hands up, squealing with delight. Buildings and cars flew past them with increasing velocity. Once they redlined at seventy-five kilometers an hour, Yomi shifted up into third gear. Behind her gleaming glasses, a new determination manifested itself in her eyes.

"Yes... yes!" Yukari goaded. "Give in to the speed! Become one with the road!"

The car bounced and jittered along the road as Yomi drove even faster down the hill. Every so often, the road would level out for a short stretch before dropping off again. Every time the car went airborne, Yomi felt as though her stomach was fighting its way out of her mouth. But she wouldn't stop now. She wasn't scared of a little speed.

"Yellow light!" Yukari shouted.

Yomi applied brakes and prepared to downshift.

"Don't brake!" Yukari insisted. "You can totally make this!"

More speed. The light went red as they reached the intersection, but Yomi was too fast and too close to stop now. Their car sped through the red light, raising a chorus of angry honks as the drivers waiting to proceed nearly got bowled over by such a reckless driver.

"My heart," Yomi panted. "That was close."

"Driver ahead," Yukari advised.

"Slowing down," Yomi answered.

"Pass him, you dummy!" Yukari snapped. "That's what the other lane is for!"

"But that's the oncoming lane!"

"That's what timing is for!" Yukari argued, seizing the wheel.

Before Yomi had a chance to realize what was happening, Yukari had wrestled control of the wheel away from her and sent them both swerving into the oncoming lane. As the car ahead of them left Yomi's field of vision, her fears were realized. A truck was driving towards them, even further away. They were on a head-on collision course.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl for Yomi. She was painfully aware of all the scenery around her, every little detail. Her brain, her perception of time, had gone into overdrive, working hard to save her from danger. It was simple, really. She would slap Yukari's hand off of the steering wheel, hit the brakes, and move back into her own lane. She took a deep breath and prepared to put her plan into action.

"_Faster!_" Yukari bellowed, placing her free hand on Yomi's right thigh and pushing down. Yomi felt her foot slam the gas pedal, causing the car to accelerate. Yukari's other hand steered their vehicle around the car ahead and ever closer to the oncoming truck. It was too late to slow down now; speeding up was her only chance.

A loud shatter sounded behind them as Yukari guided them around the car and swerved back into the correct lane, leaving the path of the truck. The driver behind them honked angrily, and Yomi realized with horror that she had clipped him.

"Ohmygodohmygod!" she hyperventilated. "I _hit_ somebody!"

"Ah, crap!" Yukari swore. "Floor it, Yomi! Don't look back! Get away before he gets the tag number!"

Frustrated tears welled up in Yomi's eyes. First time driving, and she had done damage. That was just shameful. She couldn't take this anymore. Yomi never wanted to drive in the first place. Why did she have to take this stupid lesson? When would it end?

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><p><strong>Two hours later<strong>

The past few hours had been a total blur to Yomi. She recalled driving, and speed, and hit and runs, but could not seem to recall most of it. Perhaps it was being blocked from her memory. But it didn't matter now. She was outside, no longer behind the wheel, and the lesson was over.

The early afternoon sun shone high above them, beating down on the roof of an apartment building. Yomi reclined against an air duct, sitting next to Yukari, who had fetched cans of juice from downstairs.

This roof was much more peaceful than the road, and up here it was just the three of them: Yomi, Yukari, and the large, yellow cat that had hovered in to join them. Neither of them knew what it was, or how it could talk, but neither really cared. They hadn't even asked for its name.

"So," Yukari began, cracking open her juice. "Feel better?"

Yomi took a long swig from her can, as though drinking it would obliterate the past two hours from her mind.

"Yeah," Yomi answered. "Lesson's over. I'm relieved."

"What do you think of the road?"

"It's stressful," Yomi replied. "More stressful than any time I spent in school. I don't understand why anybody would drive in Japan. I could get around just fine on a bike, or public transit."

"Yeah," Yukari agreed. "But, you know, bunch of accidents."

"Your fault."

"Oh, that's not important! It all works out!"

"All works out?" Yomi argued. "I did a hit and run on somebody! What if I get arrested?"

"They'll never find you," Yukari reassured her. "The car belongs to the city."

"Doesn't matter to me," Yomi responded dejectedly. "I'm so used to doing well. But that was just traumatic. I'm a horrible driver! I had so many near misses."

"Hey," Yukari answered. "Anything you can walk away from. Right? Just think of the stories you'll have for your friends!"

"Heh," Yomi chuckled. "I didn't know such a small ramp could launch us high enough to land on a bus."

"I know, right?" Yukari laughed. "I learn stuff like this every time I drive! You see? If you hadn't taken this lesson, you never would have learned that a car like ours could hit sixty kilometers an hour in reverse."

"You know," Yomi replied. "I think I actually feel a bit better about this now. If nothing else, it'll be fun to watch Tomo react to where the journey took us."

"That's the spirit," Yukari answered, standing up. "So how about it? Should we go now?"

"Yeah, let's go," Yomi answered. "But..."

"Yes?"

"I'm wondering," she continued. "Do you have any idea how we can get the car down from this roof?"

"Beats me," Yukari answered. "I had my eyes closed. How did we get up here to begin with?"

Yomi paused for a moment, trying to think of an answer.

"Beats me," Yomi gave up. "I had my eyes closed."

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><p><strong><em>Mado ni sotto yobu koe wa<br>Koi no yokan soshite  
>Mada tooku no ai demo<br>Shinjiteru asu wo  
>Shinjiteru kimi wo<em>**


	2. Chasing Rabbits

**True story: my driver's ed instructor would just have me take him on errands instead of actually planning a training route. Sometimes I'd spend time on the clock just sitting in the car and waiting for him to finish.**

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><p><strong>Chasing Rabbits<strong>

_Driving is so fun!_

_Driving is so fun!_

_Now we must assess the wreck_

_And see what we have done!_

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><p>She had seen him again on her way to the license bureau. He was so mischievous, so dangerous, and yet she couldn't at all resist any chance to be near him. That cocksure swagger, that devilish grin; it was all a part of his bad-boy charm. Sakaki had tried many times to get close to him, to reach out to him. But he would always end up breaking her heart without a second thought.<p>

There had to be some shred of niceness in that tiny, gray kitty. Behind the murderous, sharp-toothed grin, surely there was some vulnerable little kitten who just wanted to be petted, and held.

_I could be the one for you_, Sakaki thought. _Maaya knows I'm a good person. Won't you let me in?_

How many times now had she tried to pet him? Too many, probably. But today would be different. It was just a matter of letting him get used to her scent. Once he recognized her and realized she wasn't a threat, then surely–

_CHOMP._

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><p>Sakaki, jerked awake, black hair rustling out of place from her state of alarm. She was sitting in a conference room at the license bureau. Her smaller friend Kaori remained asleep, propped up against her left side. Chiyo and Yomi also sat dozing a few seats down. Osaka reclined in the opposite corner, perusing a very thick textbook – unusual behavior because she remained awake this time. But what was biting her hand?<p>

"Tomo?"

Sakaki looked down at Tomo, who had chomped down on her hand, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She held a bright orange bottle in one hand.

"That woke you up!" Tomo shouted, rousing Kaori from her nap. Kaori blushed profusely, sitting up straight and acting as if she had never fallen asleep.

"Why did you..." Sakaki began.

"It was a cat dream again, wasn't it?" Tomo replied. "I saw you zoned out there and figured: 'You know what would be really funny? If Sakaki was daydreaming about cats and I bit your hand to make you think it was a cat!' So I took a guess!"

"_The force due to kinetic friction,"_ Osaka's voice carried over. _"Is given by the normal force N times a constant of kinetic friction μ (mu)."_

"Tomo," Yomi yawned, waking from sleep. "That is one of the dumbest lines of reasoning I've ever heard. Even from you."

"Aww, come on!" Tomo grinned, taking a gulp of her drink. "Sometimes, you just wanna do these things, you know?"

"Hey, Tomo," Kaori chimed in. "What are you drinking?"

"Morning Rescue!" Tomo beamed. "This stuff's amazing! Carried me out of bed and all the way here!"

"Tomo, pour that crap down the drain," Yomi urged. "Nobody as hyper as you should have energy drinks. Your heart will explode."

"_Bernoulli's Principle,"_ Osaka continued aloud. _"Concerns differential air pressures and their effect on the motion of a surface. A practical application of this is downforce, a fluid force that is utilized in automotive engineering to increase contact with the road and improve tire grip. **If** the downforce is greater than the force of gravity, such a car could **theoretically** race on the ceiling of a tunnel without falling off (assuming that the downforce coefficient is high enough to produce sufficient downforce at attainable speeds, and assuming there are no bumps or irregularities on the tunnel ceiling that would perturb the free stream. Neither of these conditions are likely in real life)."_

"My heart will not explode!" Tomo blew off Yomi's warning. "You worry too much."

"I've seen it happen," Yomi continued solemnly, wearing a deadpan expression. "It is _not_ a pretty sight."

"You... you have not..." Tomo stuttered, nervous now. "Stop that."

"_Centrifugal force is entirely fictional,"_ Osaka pressed on. _"What the subject actually feels is either normal force or tension force as it fights his or her kinetic inertia. This force restricts a particle to a radial acceleration towards a central point."_

"Well, don't you sound smart," Yomi replied, finally taking notice. "What are you reading, anyway, Osaka?"

"Physics textbook," she replied.

"Pretty heavy stuff," Tomo commented. "Way too dense for me."

"Oh, it is!" Osaka agreed. "This book taught me about gravity and density before I even opened it up!"

"But why?" Yomi puzzled. "Chiyo and I are super smart, and neither of us carry around books like that. What's going on?"

"Oh, nothin' special," Osaka dismissed. "Just a gut feelin' I might need to know it."

_SLAM._

Tomo clutched her chest in surprise as Yukari slammed open the door to the conference room, sliding it off to the side. She hurried inside, feet shuffling rapidly as she made her way to the front of the room. With another heavy thud, her books hit the desk sitting in front of the whiteboard. Tomo was still recovering as Yukari picked up a dry erase marker and began scribbling furiously.

"Close call, eh, Tomo?" Yomi smirked.

"At least my figure can handle these drinks."

"_What's that supposed to mean?"_ Yomi challenged.

"Guys! Guys!" Yukari snapped. "Break it up!"

"We're girls," Yomi hissed. "And why are you scribbling on the board? This is a driving lesson, not a class!"

Yukari looked back in confusion at the katakana she had written in very large letters. It was complete nonsense; it didn't mean anything in Japanese. Perhaps it was English?

"Huh," Yukari muttered. "Whoops. Force of habit. Anyway, I don't have all day here, so only one of you is gonna be lucky enough to have lessons with me. Now, who has nominations for me?"

Four hands rose into the air.

"Too bad!" Yukari boasted. "I'm choosing anyway. Sakaki! You're up this time."

Sakaki sat up, a look of surprise on her face. She gazed ahead at the front of the room, staring into space like a deer caught in the glare of a driver's headlights.

Kaori noticed Sakaki's concerned look and began to worry as well. She remembered what it was like to ride with Yukari. No seatbelts, no safety, and only the slimmest chance that she would emerge from Yukari's crash-beaten machine alive. But Sakaki had never driven before. If she was to have her first time with Yukari...

No; she couldn't allow that to happen. Kaori cared far too much about Sakaki to just stand by while her life was in danger. She would join them. Kaori would not let Sakaki and Yukari be alone together.

"_No!"_ Kaori shouted. "I want to ride Miss Sakaki too!"

Dead silence. Kaori could feel her face burning to a crisp under the perplexed stares of her peers, and from the heat of her own blushing. That had come out all wrong. She watched with horror as an amused, impish grin began to show on Tomo's face.

"Wait," Yomi began slowly. "Did... you just say..."

"_No!"_ Kaori snapped. "No! No, I... I did not... just... say! I meant... I want to be driven by Miss Sakaki!"

_Oh god,_ thought Kaori. _That sounds even worse. Think, girl! Use your brain to get out of this! How can you clear up this confusion?_

"Shotgun!" Kaori yelled, desperately.

"Oh!" Yukari realized. "So _that's_ what you meant!"

"Shotgun?" Tomo balked. "What about shotguns?"

"Riding shotgun?" Yukari tried. "American slang? You'd know this if you paid attention in English class, Tomo! Kaori, if you were still in school, I'd give you an A for applied knowledge. Good job! Come ride with us!"

Kaori sighed with relief. The confusion was over, and her unexplainable crush on Sakaki would remain a secret to them all.

"And Chiyo!" Yukari added. "You're riding with us too!"

"Wha– _me?_" Chiyo flinched, concerned. Why her? Why did she have to spend time on the road with Yukari?

"Sakaki, you're a big girl," Yukari explained. "Level-headed, gentle; in other words, crap I'd never manage. That's why I think it's a good idea to give you driving experience with a child present."

"Hey!" Chiyo shouted, pigtails flapping with indignation. "I am _not_ a child! I'm thirteen!"

"She's adorable, isn't she?" Yukari beamed. "But seriously Chiyo: you still _look_ pretty young, and you're the youngest person here. You're all we've got. Can't you take one for the team and come along with us?"

"Oh..." Chiyo faltered. "Fine..."

"I..." Sakaki stuttered. "I need to practice... as if I'm driving... with kids?"

"Yep!" Yukari confirmed. "Kids, children, brats, broken cond–"

"Ummm... Miss Yukari?" Osaka raised her hand.

"Yes, Osaka?" Yukari asked.

"Ya ever have one of those times?" Osaka began. "One of those times, where somebody waves at ya, and ya think you know him, but ya don't know his name? Except sometimes, ya don't recognize him, and you think he might be waving at somebody behind ya? But ya don't wanna just ignore him, because he might be waving at you, after all. But even if ya don't ignore him, you don't know his name anyway, even though you're s'posed ta. So no matter what, this guy you might or might not know is likely to be offended because ya either ignored him or ya forgot his name!"

"Ehhh..." Yukari hesitated. "What part of that was a question?"

"I dunno," Osaka shrugged. "Just thought of it."

"Okaaay..." Yukari continued, after pausing for a few seconds. "Well, that's about it. You guys are free to go, or stay here, or watch us drive off, or whatever."

As Yukari gathered her things and left the room, the rest of them followed her, filing slowly out. Osaka was the last to leave. She turned for a moment to stare at the katakana still written on the whiteboard in large red letters. For several seconds, she studied Yukari's writing, sounding out the characters.

"_Kuraatu barada nikuto,"_ Osaka muttered, puzzling over it for a full ten seconds.

"I don't get it," she gave up, switching off the light as she left the room.

* * *

><p>Kaori sighed contentedly, lounging in the front passenger seat of the city's car. She had jumped in immediately, making sure that she would get to sit next to Sakaki before anybody else could. Chiyo, too, had taken a seat in the back, while Yukari was still making her way to the vehicle. She rapped on the window to get Kaori's attention.<p>

"Hey, Kaori," Yukari began. "I'm the driving instructor; that means _I _need the front seat."

A murderous, enraged look on Kaori's countenance stopped Yukari in her tracks. She had turned immediately at this news and stared Yukari down like a livid, rabid beast. Yukari shied away, unable to believe what she was witnessing. Was Kaori _growling_ at her?

She caved. Yukari shrank away and took the remaining seat in the back. Kaori could _have_ the damn front if she wanted it so badly.

"Hey, Miss Yukari?" Chiyo began, pointing to a capped opening mounted on the armrest in the middle of the two front seats. "Why is there an opening for the gas tank _inside_ the car? I've never seen anything like that before."

"Beats me," Yukari shrugged. "It was there when the city gave it to me. Hell if I know why it's there."

"This feels really weird," Sakaki muttered shyly. "I'm not sure I really want to–"

"Alright, students!" Yukari announced. "Class is now in session! Sorry about the wait, but _Tomo_ had to go and steal my phone, and just now gave it back. I _swear_, she cannot keep her hands off other people's stuff!

"Anyway! Sakaki, today, your route is going to take you five kilometers down Tanaka Street, a right turn onto Inoue Lane, ten more kilometers, merging onto Highway 318..."

Sakaki began to zone out, overwhelmed by this large amount of information. How would she possibly make it that far without crashing?

"... which, if you just go off road and down the side of the hill, is a shortcut down to Tojo Tunnel, and then..."

"That..." Sakaki interrupted. "Sounds like a lot of ground to cover."

"Well, of course it is!" Yukari answered. "My errands aren't gonna do themselves! Now crank it!"

Sakaki held the clutch in as Yukari had previously instructed, growing tense as the engine turned over. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. After all, Sakaki was driving, not Yukari. If she just stayed calm, everything would be fine.

"Get going!" Yukari urged.

And so Sakaki got going. Or attempted to, anyway. But like Yomi before her, Sakaki found herself completely stymied by the manual transmission. Every push of the gas pedal sent her on a heart-pounding lurch, and she would hit the brakes in a panic, only to have the engine stall, forcing her to start over.

"Sakaki," Yukari advised. "_Don't_ hit the brakes this time. Just give it plenty of gas, and let the car do its thing."

Taking one more deep breath, Sakaki took Yukari's advice, finally jumping out of the parking space with a screech of the tires. She swerved for a moment, but then stabilized, settling into a leisurely, steady speed.

"Okay," Sakaki breathed. "I'm on the road. Now what?"

"First stop is my apartment," Yukari instructed. "Nyamo texted me and said she needed my help with something and she'd meet me there. I'll tell you where to turn."

"Got it."

"And another thing," Yukari continued. "Could you drive _faster?_ I'm falling asleep back here!"

All three passengers screamed as Sakaki slammed the brakes in a panic. She stared ahead, obviously frightened.

"What's wrong, Miss Sakaki?" Kaori asked.

"I almost ran him over," Sakaki answered.

Kaori, Yukari and Chiyo peered out the front window, looking at a miniscule gray cat. It leered at Sakaki, mewing innocently, but fixing her with a wide, tooth-filled grin.

"Please forgive me," she whispered, passing him and driving slowly away.

"Okay, can you speed up now?" Yukari urged. "If I fall asleep, you won't know where to go."

"But..." Sakaki protested, worried. "If I go too fast, I might hit an animal."

"That's the spirit," Yukari began to twist Sakaki's words. "You _might_ hit an animal. Not certain, but only possible. What's life without a gamble?"

"_Mew."_

"Hey, leave her alone!" Kaori defended her. "Sakaki shouldn't go faster if she doesn't want to."

"I'll nod off," Yukari threatened. "You'll have no guide."

"_Mew."_

"Oh, stop it!" Kaori countered. "Just... stay awake!"

"Hey, guys?" Chiyo began.

"Sakaki, you're such a big girl," Yukari continued. "You can do anything. You're not _afraid_, are you?"

"_Mew."_

"DON'T TALK TO HER LIKE THAT!" Kaori shouted. Yukari clutched her chest, dumbfounded at Kaori's outburst.

"Guys!" Chiyo urged. "Don't any of you hear a cat?"

"A cat?"

"_Mew."_

All four stared silently into space, zoned out for a second, before focusing their attention on a tiny, gray, feline figure that could have been mistaken for a dashboard ornament. But that was completely wrong. This cat hadn't been standing on the dashboard a minute ago. Sakaki recognized it as the cat she tried to pet all the time, the one who always bit her. Kamineko.

She started to panic. She hadn't meant to threaten him; couldn't he forgive her?

"_Hssssssssss!"_ a devilish grin spread across its face, white teeth gleaming like the jaws of a bear trap.

_Chomp._

Yukari was prepared for it, but Chiyo and Kaori reeled in shock as the car accelerated and began to swerve violently. Sakaki wailed in pain and struggled to break free of Kamineko's bite, losing control of the car in the process. Yukari squealed, excited now that the ride was more to her liking.

"Get off of her, you mean kitty!" Kaori shouted, slapping Kamineko's body, trying to dislodge him.

"No, don't!" Yukari disagreed. "She's driving faster now!"

"We're going to die..." Chiyo muttered. "We're going to die... we're going to die... we're going to die... we're going to die..."

The city blocks flew by as Sakaki kept racing the engine, unable to escape Kamineko's jaws. He seemed to enjoy varying the pressure every now and then, giving her a brief break before chomping down again. Why did he always hurt her? Why did she keep coming back to him?

"Crap!" Yukari cursed as they sped past her apartment. "Nyamo just sent me another text. She wants to meet me at Taira's Noodles."

"But that's on the other side of town!" Chiyo exclaimed.

"Turn around, Sakaki!" Yukari instructed.

Sakaki groaned, pulling a U-turn even as traffic began moving in the other direction. Several drivers honked at her, but Sakaki couldn't care less; Kamineko refused to let go of her hand. When would it end?

* * *

><p>He stood at the crosswalk, groceries in hand, reflective glasses obscuring his eyes. His jaw hung perpetually open, making him appear as though he was in a permanent state of shock. But nothing was amiss. This grocery run was just a typical day in Mr. Kimura's life. The lights changed and he made his way across the street, thinking nothing of the countless potential hazards that could be found on the streets.<p>

The sound of revving caught Kimura's attention, and he peered off to the side. The source was a small car, fishtailing down the road towards him, as if the driver was having trouble. He walked faster, eager to get out of the way, when he noticed who was riding in the passenger seat.

It was Kaori. Sweet, innocent Kaori, the coy, demure object of his affections. She had been one of his students, and he remembered her fondly. If only he could have been more involved as a mentor to her. Oh, she had pushed away his advances, but he _knew_ deep down that she was just playing hard to get. She _craved_ the chance to become closer to somebody knowledgeable, an older, wiser man. She _needed_ a smart man like him. And despite her denials, even now, as she shouted inaudibly at him from the oncoming car, he swore that he would whisk her away someday and bring unparalleled happiness to her life.

"Kaori, my dear!" Kimura shouted. "I will always love you! We would be so happy together!"

More unheard shouting. He could tell that Kaori was shooting him down again. But she couldn't fool him.

"I'll wait for you, my dear!" he continued. "We have such a bright future together!"

* * *

><p>"<em>Crap!"<em> Kaori shouted as the car barreled past Kimura and into the intersection. "We missed him!"

"Forget about that!" Yukari shouted as Sakaki swerved to avoid the fifth stray cat that had wandered onto the road. "To Taira's!"

Sakaki's hand hurt every time she shifted gears. Kamineko had given up on Sakaki's left hand and had made a start on her right. She was in so much pain, and yet she didn't dare struggle too much, or she might end up hurting Kamineko.

"_Gaaaahhh!"_ Yukari screamed. "New text! Nyamo moved again! Now she's at Haneda Station! Turn the car around!"

Sakaki wailed wearily and turned around as Kamineko started to menace her hair.

* * *

><p><strong>Nashi License Bureau<strong>

Three hours on the road had seen them race up and down what must have been every city street in existence. Every time they neared one of their destinations, Yukari would get another text from Nyamo telling them that she had moved, and their only option was to change direction and travel back across the city to the new location.

There had been a lot of animals on the street today. Sakaki's nerves were more stressed than they had ever been before, having almost killed an adorable creature many times. She had counted twenty lone stray cats, twenty-eight lone stray dogs, six cats with litters of kittens, a line of ducks at ten points along the route, fourteen turtles, and two eagles, each of which, at different times during the drive, had swooped in front of her to grab a rat that was scurrying along the road. Sakaki would remember this day in her nightmares.

Kamineko had tortured Sakaki until Yukari finally gave up and let her return to the license bureau. No sooner had Sakaki stopped and opened the door than Kamineko released her and ran off, hissing and spitting like a furry little demon. Sakaki slumped back, relieved that the drive was over and the biting had stopped.

"Safe at last..." Chiyo whispered repeatedly. "Safe at last... never again... I want to live..."

"Oh, Sakaki..." Kaori crooned, snatching up one of her chewed-up hands. "Look what he _did_ to you! I'll make you feel better!"

"I..." Sakaki replied, nervously. "I... don't want to be a bother. You don't have to fuss over me."

"No, not at all!" Kaori argued, eyes misting over with nervous tears. "I insist!"

"Er... alright," Sakaki agreed, afraid that she was about to make Kaori cry. "Lead the way."

"What the heck, Nyamo?" Yukari grumbled to herself as Sakaki and Kaori exited the car together. "You need to talk, but you keep moving around so we can't reach you? What's up with that?"

"That just doesn't seem like her, Miss Yukari," Chiyo commented.

"I know," she replied, looking absentmindedly at her phone's list of contacts. "Only a _jerk_ would do something like..."

Yukari froze, peering closer at the contact information by Nyamo's name. This was all wrong. What was going on here?

"Miss Yukari?"

"What on Earth?" Yukari asked, indignantly. "This isn't Nyamo's number! Who's been sending these messages?"

Concerned now, she dialed the number and waited for the mystery caller to pick up.

_-click- "Hello?"_

Yukari recognized the voice instantly and her teeth began to grind. Of course. It all made sense: the text messages, the mad dashes – everything. She knew now who was sadistic enough to make them all run around for three hours. It seemed that the person who had replaced Nyamo's number with their own was the same one who had stolen her phone.

"Tomo!" Yukari raged. "It was _you!_ You sent those stupid messages! We ran up and down the whole city because of you!"

"_Oh CRAP!"_ Tomo replied. _"Going now. Bye!" -click-_

"Of all the... stupid... totally going to pay... _grrrrrrr..._" Yukari grumbled.

"Miss Yukari?" Chiyo ventured very timidly. "_Please_ don't be too angry. At least, not while I'm still here..."

"Oh, go home!" Yukari snapped. Chiyo jumped back with a terrified squeak and then ran down the street as fast as she could.

Tomo had messed with the wrong woman. Yukari didn't appreciate having to zip back and forth all over town for the amusement of some silly girl with too much time on her hands. Tomo would pay dearly for this. Yukari had her mind made up: Tomo was next up in the driver's seat. And her's would be the toughest driving lesson ever devised in all of automotive history.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Raspberry Heaven<strong>_

_**Hitori ja naite yakusoku shita ne Heaven**_


	3. Interlude: The Very Short Chapter

**Interlude: The Very Short Chapter**

**Osaka's room**

She had reached that wonderful place again. Osaka always returned to it in all of her dreams. It was a green, luscious valley, full of soft grass and fragrant flowers, a soothing, bright blue sky looking down on her. Cotton-like clouds drifted lazily through the air as she looked down and saw all of her friends running towards her. Even if things changed in the waking world, this heavenly place would always be there for her. Osaka would always be able to play there with her friends, under the watchful, feline eyes of Chiyo's father.

What was this? Osaka had picked a flower to smell it, but something was completely wrong. It didn't smell very fragrant at all. This flower was actually quite unpleasant. But why?

Osaka's eyes opened, fixating on the ceiling above her bed. The kind of smell she noticed was unmistakable, but at the same time, Osaka knew she would never be able to place it. Was somebody in the room with her?

She sniffed the air for a moment, making sure that she was actually smelling it and not just dreaming.

"There's no other explanation," she muttered, afraid. "_That's_ not my fart!"

* * *

><p>An hour later, Osaka had gotten dressed, picked up her physics textbook and left the house. Even as she walked, she opened the book and continued reading where she had left off.<p>

"_The flow of time is not necessarily constant,"_ she muttered to herself. _"Our perception of it can change depending on our environment. For example, the influence of drugs or endorphins on the human brain can make time seem to move faster or slower._

"_Time dilation proper occurs during motion and is most noticeable as an object approaches the speed of light. All outside observers looking at the system in motion would notice that the flow of time within that system has slowed significantly."_

"Hey! Osaka!" she looked up and saw Tomo waving at her, holding two notes in her hand.

"Mornin' Tomo," Osaka answered calmly. "Watcha got there?"

"What have I got here?" Tomo repeated, flourishing the notes proudly. "Oh, nothing much, just _twelve-thousand yen!_"

"Woww!" Osaka raved. "Well ain't you the lucky dog, this mornin'!"

"Oh, yeah!" Tomo continued. "I found a two-grand and a ten-grand note just lying around out here! Somebody around here is not only loaded, but too loaded to care!"

Before Tomo had a chance to react, Osaka brought her hand up and snatched the two notes from her. Understandably irritated, she was about to grab Osaka and demand an explanation when Tomo noticed a look of intense concentration on Osaka's face. She concentrated on the notes, as if doing so would bore holes in the money. After a long pause, Osaka brought the money to her nose and sniffed it. She frowned at Tomo apologetically.

"These bills are no good," she said.

"Wha – _huh?_" Tomo exclaimed. "No way! These bills are fine!"

"Nope," Osaka answered. "They're not real."

"Okay, _genius!_" Tomo replied, voice dripping with sarcasm. "What, pray tell, is wrong with them?"

"They smell wrong," Osaka answered.

"I – bu– wha– they _smell_ wrong?" Tomo repeated. "What are they supposed to smell like!"

"Mint, of course!" Osaka responded, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. "Money has to smell like mint!

"Osaka, that's ridiculous!" Tomo answered. "Yeah, _mint_. Money is made in a mint. That's what it's called."

"Exactly!" Osaka argued. "Money is made in a mint. Therefore, it's 'sposed to smell like mint. That's logic."

"Well..." Tomo replied, gears turning in her head. "If those bills are worthless, why don't you let me hold on to them? No need to carry trash, right?"

"Well golly, Tomo!" Osaka answered, handing the notes back. "That's awful nice of ya! Thanks!"

"Hehe, _nooo problem!_" Tomo answered.

"So where're ya headed?" Osaka asked.

"License bureau," Tomo answered. "Yomi sent me a text. Wants me to meet her there. Can't imagine why, though..."

* * *

><p><strong>Nashi License Bureau<strong>

"So let me get this straight," Yukari began, addressing her fellow teacher and good friend, Minamo Kurosawa. "You've decided to teach young people to drive this summer?"

"Yeah," she answered, proudly. "Kaori was my first student, and Kagura's next up. They didn't seem to want anything to do with lessons from _you_."

"Oho, what is this?" Yukari challenged, eyebrows raised. "Was that a dig, Nyamo? Are you belittling me?"

"Well... _no,_ nothing like that! It's just..." Nyamo struggled. "Your reckless driving habits are pretty hard to ignore. I mean, what am I supposed to do, just turn a blind eye?"

"Oh, so you don't think I'm capable, do you?" Yukari accused. "You think I'm _dangerous_. That my personality is unfit for the road, and that only _your_ teaching method is the best? Is that it? _Is it?_"

"N– No! I never said that!"

"Silence, gym teacher!" Yukari shouted. "I'll bet you right here, right now, that one of my students can beat one of your students. How about it?"

"I'm not betting with you!" Nyamo protested. "That's terribly irresponsible!"

"Oh, typical Nyamo," Yukari commented. "Backing down and retreating as usual. No wonder you haven't been very lucky with men."

"_What."_ Nyamo raised an eyebrow.

"You heard me," Yukari continued. "Always hoping for Mister Right, but never willing to take the risk. Doesn't the prospect of maid-hood strike fear into your heart, Nyamo? Don't you ever tire of thinking of what could have been? How many love letters do you plan on writing and never sharing with your crushes, Nyamo? How many love letters?"

"Enough with the love letter!" Nyamo shouted, fist pounding the wall. "Alright, Yukari. I'm game. Name your terms."

"We'll race," Yukari declared. "My student versus your student. To make things really interesting, we each get a tank of nitrous oxide for boosting. It will be the race to end all races! And remember, Nyamo, if you refuse, it'll just be another addition to your long, loveless list of what-ifs and should-have-dones. What do you say?"

"I accept," Nyamo answered after half a minute of silent contemplation. "But now we need a wager. How much will you bet?"

At this moment, Tomo entered the room, expecting to see Yomi. As she scanned the area, Yukari's eyes homed in on the sizable banknote that was in her hands.

"TEN THOUSAND YEN!" Yukari screamed, pointing directly at Tomo.

Tomo froze, eyes widening with terrible comprehension. Yomi hadn't texted Tomo at all. She had been tricked.

"I've got you now, you brat!" Yukari shouted, lunging up and pinning Tomo to the wall. "Mess with my phone, will you? Make me run around town, will you? Well the tables have turned, my boisterous adversary! It seems that when your friend Yomi learned what you did to me, she saw fit to help me exact my revenge, and lead you right into my clutches!"

"Aww, crap..." Tomo groaned.

"You're going to be in a race," Yukari declared through gritted teeth. "Your ten thousand yen will be my wager. You have no say in this. If we win, I get ten thousand yen from Nyamo and all will be forgiven.

"But if you screw this up," Yukari warned. "If I have to swallow my pride and admit defeat to Nyamo, then you, my frivolous former student, will most assuredly _feel my wrath_. Nothing on this planet will prepare you for the punishment I can dish out!"

Tomo could feel cold sweat running down the back of her neck as Yukari began to chuckle ominously, as if fighting back evil laughter. All she could think to do was curse Yomi's name for selling her out like this. She was trapped.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Raspberry Heaven<br>amai namida  
>rakuen de mata, hohoen de<em>**

* * *

><p><strong>I apologize for dashing your hopes of crazy driving antics. Next chapter, the chaos and disorder will continue as scheduled.<br>**


	4. Demons On Wheels

**I am really sorry for not getting this done sooner. You guys have been really patient, and I will try not to take so much time writing the final chapter, whenever it comes out.**

**Happy Thanksgiving everybody! Dine on turkey and fanfiction! Grow fat and sleepy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Demons On Wheels<strong>

"_-heep-_"

Osaka hiccuped. She was standing in the middle of the road, reading a newspaper. She seemed intent on one particular article, titled, _"Disappearance Of Police Budget Remains A Mystery"_.

On either side of her stood a car from the city that was used for driving lessons. Tomo sat behind the wheel of one car, with Yukari in the driver's seat. In the other vehicle sat Kagura, with Nyamo next to her. Chiyo stood on the sidewalk. Yomi, Sakaki, and Kaori were absent.

"No sweat, Miss Yukari!" Tomo chimed. "We can beat these losers."

"You better," Yukari warned. "My pride is on the line here."

"This is all Yomi's fault," Tomo gritted her teeth. "I can't believe she ratted me out."

In the other car, Nyamo gave Kagura some coaching.

"Now remember," she began, "Keep your foot on the gas while you're shifting up. That way, you won't lose power while you're accelerating."

"Man, Miss Minami, I'm surprised at you," Kagura commented. "I didn't think you'd be doing something this reckless."

"It was under duress," Nyamo insisted. "Yukari has this annoying ability to push people's worst buttons. I don't really care about the money, but she _does_ need to be taught some humility."

"Okay, so I got to wonderin'," Osaka began, "What if cats and dogs led secret lives that we don't know about? I saw Mr. Tadakichi roamin' around this morning, and he looked _-heep-_ he looked awful suspicious if ya ask me..."

"Hey... Osaka?" Chiyo began. "Don't you want to try to get rid of your hiccups?"

"Nah, I'm good," she answered. "Hiccup cures are just crazy myths."

"Yo, Osaka!" Tomo revved the engine. "We're good to go! Let's do this thing!"

"Us too!" Kagura responded.

"Okay!" Osaka answered. "So y'all are gonna be racing from this point, near my house, to Miss Yukari's apartment, on the other side of the city. Yomi, Sakaki, and Kaori are there waiting to see you finish."

"Okay," Kagura confirmed. "What's our route?"

"_-heep-_ Say what?"

"Our route?" Kagura repeated. "How do we get there?"

"How am I s'posed to know that?" Osaka answered. "You're the ones racing."

Tomo revved the engine again.

"Come on!"

Kagura balked. She wasn't ready. Yukari would definitely know how to get there, but she had no idea.

"Wait a minute!" Kagura started. "I don't know about–"

"On your mark... get set... _-heep-_"

"_Mach 5, go!"_ Tomo shouted, stomping the gas pedal and activating the nitrous booster immediately. Her car rocketed ahead of Kagura and Nyamo and took off down the street.

"Tomo, you idiot!" Yukari shouted. "What are you doing?"

"Nitrous booster!" Tomo whooped. "Heck yeah! We're doing awesome!"

"That stuff has to last us the whole race!"

"Pffft, come on, if you have the means, you've gotta go fast!"

"We're going to run out, leadfoot!" Yukari protested.

"Please, we'll be fine!" Tomo retorted. "Look how far ahead of them we are! They'll _never_ catch us! How little nitrous could we have anyway?"

"That tank has enough nitrous to burn continuously for about two minutes," Yukari answered.

"So what's the worry?" Tomo bragged. "Do you _see_ how fast we're going? Two minutes is all the time we need to get there!"

* * *

><p>"Oh god, oh god, oh god," Kagura murmered. "What do I do? This is really scary and they're so far ahead!"<p>

This was like nothing she had ever experienced. Scenery was flying past her more rapidly than her legs could carry her. She may have ridden in cars before, but now _she_ was in control, and all too aware of just how easily she could send both herself and her coach to a fiery death with just one slip-up.

"Don't sweat it, Kagura," Nyamo reassured her. "Tomo jumped the gun. They'll run out of nitrous in a few seconds."

"What about the – _oh god!_" she swerved to avoid hitting a car that was parked in the street. Kagura could feel the car rock as she passed close by, stirring up a wake in the air.

"_That!"_ she screamed. "What about stuff like _that?_"

"Don't worry about it," Nyamo urged. "It's just like running, or swimming. You can't be afraid of getting hurt. Getting over that fear is the only way to win."

"But I don't even know how to get to Yukari's apartment!"

"Just follow them," Nyamo responded. "Yukari knows. She'll lead us right up to the finish line. But just before they beat us, we'll take the lead."

* * *

><p>"Aww, crap."<p>

Tomo's engine sputtered for a minute, before settling back to a pace that felt horribly sluggish compared to the initial starting burst. They were out of nitrous.

"Umm..." Tomo began sheepishly. "Guess I didn't think this through..."

"_Tomo..._" Yukari ground her teeth.

"Now what do we do?" Tomo wondered.

"Wait!" Yukari shouted. "I've got it!"

A nasty, sinister grin appeared on Yukari's face. She had realized Kagura's weakness.

"Kagura doesn't know how to get to the apartment from here," Yukari mused as Tomo wandered slowly onto the sidewalk.

"Yeah, that's– _whoops,_" she swerved back onto the road to avoid hitting a pedestrian. "That's right! Kagura couldn't even remember where we live the other day!"

"We could lose them," Yukari conspired. "We'll lead them all around the city to throw them off."

"Of course!"

_CRASH._

"Oops," Tomo cast a look at the garbage can that she had sent flying down the sidewalk. "Of course! Let's put a wrench in their plan!"

Coming up on the next street, Tomo grabbed the wheel and spun it hard to the right. Their vehicle cut a wide swath as it arced around the corner, leaving skid marks on the pavement. Tomo's slide was stopped by a mailbox on the corner, but it only bumped near the rear wheel, bouncing the car back to a straight path along the new road.

* * *

><p>Sakaki, Kaori, and Yomi all sat on the curb of Yukari's street. Chiyo had phoned them with the news that the race had begun. All that remained now was to wait for them to arrive. With nothing else to do. Nowhere to go. No way to even watch the race.<p>

"So..." Sakaki began. "What should we do to pass the time?"

"Anybody bring some manga?" Kaori wondered. "I just heard about one story where the fate of the world depends on a school baseball team."

"Yeah, that's a pretty good manga," Yomi responded. "But no. Just no."

"Why not?"

"I've read all of the chapters so far," Yomi answered. "And right at a cliffhanger, the author put the thing on indefinite hiatus. He hasn't published a new chapter in years."

"Oh. I didn't know that," Kaori replied. "Maybe he had writer's block?"

"For two years?"

"Really _bad_ writer's block?"

"Maybe something happened to him," Sakaki suggested. "Could have been that he got really busy, or he hit a rough spot in his life."

"Nahh," Yomi dismissed her. "I like to think he's just trying to hype it up by making people wait. He's a jerk."

"No, that can't be the case," Kaori countered. "If he waited two months, you could accuse him of hyping it up, because people want to know what happened. But after two years, people would just forget the whole story even existed. New stuff would replace it on the stands."

"Guess you're right," Yomi admitted. "But I'm waiting around right now, and thanks to _him_, I have nothing to read. This is boring."

* * *

><p>"<em>This is awesome!"<em> Kagura shouted. Driving this fast became a lot easier after she stopped worrying so much. Small bumps in the road caused her car to rock occasionally, but thanks to Nyamo's coaching, she was in the zone now. She applied a small burst of nitrous, only about five seconds' worth, to close the gap. She wouldn't pull ahead just yet.

Tomo turned left, but Kagura responded without a problem. Left again, but Kagura stayed close to her opponent and remained on the road. Nyamo got a strange feeling after Tomo made her third left turn.

"Hey... Kagura..."

But she was cut off by inertia as Kagura followed Tomo through yet another left turn.

* * *

><p>"Oho, this is <em>rich!<em>" Tomo exclaimed. "_Four_ left turns in a row? That settles it; they've fallen for it! I can lead them anywhere I want!"

Tomo accelerated up the hill and crested it, relishing the few seconds of airtime before they settled back to the road. She could see Kagura sail over the peak behind her.

"_Kagura,"_ Tomo started, in a narrative voice. _"Unknown to Tomo, this is actually her older sister, who ran away from home years ago."_

"Oh, stop fooling around!" Yukari snapped.

"Yo, Miss Yukari," Tomo began. "Doesn't Nyamo visit you all the time? Won't she catch on to what we're doing?"

"She _could_," Yukari answered. "But she's probably way too scared to speak right now. Let's make a few random turns. Then we'll hit the highway. That'll throw 'em off."

* * *

><p>Kagura panicked as Tomo's car made more turns. She was losing track of where they were now. There was no way she would find her way back to Osaka's house, and she had no idea how this road could lead her to Yukari's place. She just had to trust that her opponents would be foolish enough to lead her to the finish.<p>

These roads all looked like the same blurry mess to her. They had been racing for about thirty minutes, and now the two were racing along an overpass. Kagura began to wonder if she would need to get on the highway. Fortunately, Tomo soon answered that question in a manner that only she was crazy enough to do.

Kagura gasped as Tomo's vehicle swerved to the left, careening through the barrier and sailing out over the freeway below. Kagura slammed her brakes, skidding to a halt as Tomo's vehicle plummeted towards the road. The car landed on its wheels, bouncing up with a harsh crash, but then settled back onto the road, dragging its rear bumper behind it, accelerating away. Kagura rubbed her eyes, trying to wake up from this mad dream. She took one look at the hole in the barrier. If she was insane, she might have floored it and followed Tomo's path...

"_NOPE!"_ Kagura shouted, making a U-turn so that she could make her way to the on ramp. _"Nope nope nope nope..."_

* * *

><p>"HA!" Yukari shouted. "That'll <em>-heep-<em> that'll keep Nyamo busy for sure!"

"You said it!" Tomo grinned. As the car's engine grew louder with the acceleration, so too did the scraping coming from the rear bumper.

"Keep going up the highway," Yukari instructed. "My apartment is a few kilometers away, just off this freeway."

"This is gonna be easy!" Tomo exclaimed, accelerating and weaving between the other cars.

* * *

><p>"They may have lost us," Kagura lamented. She and Nyamo had made it onto the freeway, and were now fighting their way ahead of the traffic.<p>

"Just as I thought," Nyamo mused. "Yukari's been trying to throw us off."

"Great!" Kagura lifted her head in exasperation. "Now we'll never find her apartment."

"I have to say, I was confused at first," Nyamo paused as Kagura took advantage of a gap between two trucks. "But I recognize this highway. Yukari's apartment is off one of these exits."

"So we still have a chance!"

"That's right," Nyamo encouraged. "We can't give up until the race is over."

"You're right," Kagura agreed. "Their car is probably in way worse shape because Tomo's an idiot. We'll win this race."

* * *

><p>"You know," Kaori began. "Something's really bothering me here."<p>

"Yes?" Sakaki responded. "What is it?"

"Where are the police?" she asked. "How is it that Miss Yukari can stage a street race around here without being chased?"

"When seconds matter," Yomi answered. "The police are minutes away."

"I heard it was budget cuts," Sakaki chimed in. "A few weeks ago, they found they had no funding, and they're still scrambling to figure out where it went."

"Typical bureaucratic error," Yomi tutted.

* * *

><p>"Uh-oh," Tomo remarked. "I see them in my mirror! How did they catch us?"<p>

"Great," Yukari huffed. "Looks like we're not out of the woods yet. Keep weaving!"

Tomo put her foot down once more and pulled ahead of a tow truck, its ramp extended from the top of the cab, all the way down to near the road.

"We're almost to the exit," Yukari said, relieved. "You could have avoided this hassle if you'd just conserved the nitrous."

"Yeah, yeah..."

"_Or not stolen my phone..."_ she growled dangerously.

"_Yeah, yeah..."_ Tomo sighed more aggressively. "Just chill, Teach. I'll get us there!"

* * *

><p>"This is bad," Kagura muttered. "I see them now, but we're getting close to the exit. We might never catch them!"<p>

Nyamo was struck with a sudden idea. This plan was so crazy it caused her to hiccup right after she thought of if. But maybe it could work...

"Yes we will," Nyamo insisted with newfound resolve. "Kagura, steer towards that tow truck. It's time to break out the nitrous."

"You can't be serious," Kagura balked.

"Do I need to remind you that you're taking a driving test?" Nyamo countered. "If you want to pass and get a drivers' license, you'll need to listen to the instructor!"

Kagura took a deep breath and looked ahead at the truck.

"Alright, fine."

Not fully believing what she was doing, Kagura floored the accelerator and activated the nitrous boost. Their car lurched forward, and her front wheels landed at the foot of the ramp. Within an instant, she was careening up the tow truck's ramp, and before she knew it, she was sailing off the summit with incredible, boost-assisted velocity.

Kagura felt weightless. The cab below her, the cars below her, the road streaking by below her – none of it seemed real. The free-fall continued, and suddenly, Kagura's attention turned to Tomo's car, which was cruising directly below her. A horrible vision entered Kagura's head, a vision in which her car landed on their roof, crushing Tomo and Yukari in a horrible crash...

* * *

><p>If Tomo hadn't spotted Kagura's car in her rear view mirror, she and Yukari would have been crushed. She slammed the brakes and swerved into the other lane to avoid the incoming two-ton projectile.<p>

"_Whoa, sh–"_

_CRASH._

Kagura's car hit the road on its wheels and bounced back up, like an animal bounding through grassland. As it settled, the trunk flew open. It flapped open and shut in the wind. Tomo and Yukari both panicked as Kagura and Nyamo sped ahead. They were bearing left, getting ready to disappear down the next off ramp. They looked up and spotted Yukari's apartment in the distance, a short way down the road that crossed the highway.

"No!" Yukari shouted. "They're making for the exit! After them!"

* * *

><p>The two racers barreled down the exit ramp, engines screaming the whole way. Tomo was practically right on top of Kagura, but the ramp was too narrow to allow her to pass. Within seconds, they had reached the intersection and swerved out into the street, Yukari's apartment in sight just up ahead.<p>

Now, Tomo and Kagura were neck and neck. Both cars were out of nitrous, and the finish line was in sight. Something had to give. One of them had to pull ahead. In just half a minute, the winner of the race would be decided.

But then the engines began to sputter. Both cars gave a lurch as their engines consumed the last drops of gas from the tank. Neither Tomo nor Kagura could believe this. From here on out, they would be coasting to the finish.

"Okay. Okay. Not panicking..." Tomo muttered, confidence wavering. "We're going the exact same speed... we're exactly even with each other... we ran out of gas at the same time... It's fine! We still have a chance to – hey, what's that scraping noise?"

Tomo yelled in alarm as Kagura's car slowly distanced itself from her. Yukari ground her teeth as her rival pulled ahead. Their rear bumper was dragging behind them, causing enough resistance to keep Tomo behind Kagura. With no engine power, a level slope, and similar weights, the only determinant of victory would be how smoothly the cars could move. As Kagura's car crossed the finish line well ahead of her, Tomo reflected that she should have paid more attention to Osaka's physics lesson on friction. For want of a bumper, the race was lost.

* * *

><p>"Yes!" Kagura pumped her fist. "I won!"<p>

Tomo and Kagura, along with Yukari and Nyamo, now stood outside the apartment with Sakaki, Kaori, and Yomi. Nyamo had called a towing service to take the two cars back to the license bureau, where they would either be repaired or replaced with new models. The driver of the tow truck had looked somewhat stunned when he saw the two cars, and Kagura realized that it was the same driver that she ramped over on the freeway. But then he had simply looked away and shook his head, saying nothing throughout the whole towing process. Thought it best not to get involved.

"Aww, please," Tomo pleaded, clutching the bank note in her hand. "I don't wanna lose ten thousand yen!"

"Too bad," Yomi replied. "Those were the terms of the race. So pay up."

"Oho, don't you start!" Tomo snapped. "You're the one who ratted me out and got me into this mess!"

"Yoink."

Yukari took advantage of Tomo's distraction and plucked the note out of her hand.

"_Okay..."_ Yukari sighed with the conviction of a teenager. "I _guess_ you beat me. This time around. You got lucky."

"Are you mad?" Nyamo retorted with a smile. "You'll never accept it, but you needed this."

"The hell I did," Yukari grumbled. "You don't _really_ know that you could have beaten me! Tomo was driving, and if she hadn't blown through our nitrous, we would have left you in the dust! It's her fault! Aggressive driving may _offend_ you, but I don't think I owe you, because it's pretty clear that I am the better driver."

"That wasn't what you bet on," Nyamo reminded her. "You bet that your student could beat my student. And just now, you pretty much admitted that wasn't true."

Yukari growled, stymied. How could a mere gym teacher be so smart?

"There's nothing I can say to you, is there?"

"No, there isn't," Nyamo answered. "I'm going to go now, and I think everyone else should too."

"I don't want to impose," Yomi started, as Kagura, Kaori, and Sakaki started walking away. "But I'm going to stay here just a little bit longer."

"Suit yourself," Nyamo replied, turning to leave with the rest of them.

"_Now then..."_ Yukari whispered in a low, dangerous tone. "Tomo... I believe it is now time to discuss... your _punishment..._"

"Ohhh, crap..." Tomo muttered. "Uh... okay... this is my first time! Be gentle, will ya!"

"_Wha–"_

Yukari pulled back a minute, obviously taken by surprise.

"_Eeew,_ I don't wanna touch another girl!" Yukari exclaimed. "And a former student, no less! Get your head out of the gutter, weirdo! I just wanted your bag. Hand it over!"

"My bag?" Tomo repeated. "Take what you want, just don't hurt me!"

Yukari hefted Tomo's bag into her arms and opened it. She rifled through if for a minute, as if looking for something in particular.

"Aha!" she exclaimed. "I knew I'd find this in your bag!"

Yukari grabbed the object she was looking for and then, looking Tomo in the eye, slowly pulled out a brand new bottle of Morning Rescue. Tomo's face fell, and she immediately went pale.

"No," she shook her head, not believing her eyes. "You can't... you wouldn't..."

"You brought this on yourself, Tomo," Yukari sneered. "You shouldn't have messed with my phone. Now you've lost me my money, so you'll take your punishment!"

"_Please!"_ Tomo begged. "Oh, _please,_ don't do anything to the Morning Rescue! I love that stuff, please don't take it away!"

"But I'm so thirsty..." Yukari grinned. She twisted the cap, breaking the seal on the bottle.

"Noooo!" Tomo pleaded. "Don't do it! I'll never touch your stuff again. Look, I'll pay you! I'll pay you not to do it! I can give you money!"

"How much?"

Tomo picked up her bag and went through it until she found her wallet. She opened it up and pulled out the single note sitting in it.

"Two thousand!" Tomo waved the bill in front of Yukari. "I'll give you two thousand yen not to do what you're about to do! Please, it's all I have!"

"Oh, Tomo," Yukari sighed. "How exactly is two thousand yen going to help me recover from a loss of ten thousand yen?"

"Every little bit helps," Tomo tried. "Right?"

"Two against ten is just insult to injury," Yukari concluded. "Down the hatch."

Tomo cried out in distress as Yukari lifted the Morning Rescue to her lips. She could only watch in horror as sweet, tangy, sugary liquid, a treat meant only for her, poured into somebody else's mouth. It wasn't fair. _She_ had bought that Morning Rescue. It was _hers_ to drink.

Yukari had only drunk for a second before she pulled away, a look of disgust on her face.

"_Blecchh,_ what is this, liquid sugar?" she exclaimed. "I've done you a favor – how can you kids stomach such over-sweet, awful-tasting junk? I can't even get through this!"

"Oh, you're one to talk!" Tomo shot back. "You like beer, don't you? My parents let me try a sip once, and I just don't see what the big deal is, because if you ask me, it tastes like–"

"Piss me off all you want," Yukari interrupted her. "I don't care. I quenched my thirst. So I guess there's really no point in keeping the rest of this."

Yukari lowered the bottle and let it tip over in her hand. Tomo watched with disbelieving eyes as bright, sparkling Morning Rescue poured out of the bottle and splashed onto the hot pavement, fated to evaporate within seconds.

Tomo screamed in horror. Her precious Morning Rescue, gone! Her terrified cries filled the air, mixed with curses and whining. She was so stressed out right now that she could just...

"_-heep-"_

Tomo stopped screaming immediately. The hiccup had brought her back to her senses, and made her realize just how much of a scene she was making. She shrunk down, face now a luminous shade of red, and fell silent.

"I think we're done, here," Yukari turned and walked towards the entrance to her apartment. "Don't mess with my phone again."

Tomo sighed. All that remained of the drink she had been saving was a dark spot on the sidewalk. She would never get that back. But still, it wasn't a complete loss. With renewed hope, she held up the two thousand yen note in her hand. Even if Yukari had taken ten thousand, that hadn't been all the money she found on the ground. She could buy plenty of bottles with this bill.

"Yoink."

Yomi snatched the note out of Tomo's hands and began to walk away.

"I never forgot about the bet we had," Yomi waved as she left. "Our wager was two thousand yen. Thanks for paying up."

* * *

><p>Chiyo stood in line as she waited for the teller to become available. Finally, she would get to finish the errand that her father had tasked her with. The excitement of the race had pushed it out of her mind for a while now.<p>

"Can I help you, young lady?"

"Yes, ma'am," Chiyo replied. "I'd like to make a cash deposit to my father's account."

"Okay, how much?"

"Twelve thousand yen."

"Okay, we can do that," the teller answered. "If you can just place it on the table, I'll put it right into the account."

Chiyo reached into her pocket and felt for the two bills that should have been there. She began to get worried. How hard could it be to fish some money out of one's pocket? After a few more seconds of searching, she felt her fingers touch bare skin, and a horrible revelation hit her.

"There's a hole in my pocket!" Chiyo exclaimed.

This was bad. Chiyo had been carrying that money so she could store it in a safe place. Her father had found the bills in the house and decided that they would be more secure if they were deposited. But now she'd lost them. Twelve thousand was serious money. If she couldn't account for the loss... what would happen to her? How would she explain this to her father? How could she maintain control and avoid panicking?

"_-heep-"_

* * *

><p><strong><em>Raspberry Heaven<br>mukae ni kita no  
>yasashii yume no Heaven<br>_**


End file.
